Floodwater in Regions Nine and Ten is slowly receding as teams continue to conduct assessments of the damage caused.
Region Nine Chairman Bryan Allicock told Stabroek News that there was a lull in rainfall in Lethem yesterday but the Takutu and Tabatinga rivers remain at a high level. Nevertheless, he said, floodwaters have been receding, albeit very slowly. He disclosed that monitoring teams have been dispatched to communities in the region to conduct assessments. At the time he was contacted, Allicock said that the teams were yet to report their findings.
Torrential rainfall and trans-boundary flooding associated with the increase in water levels of the River Branco in Roraima State in neighbouring Brazil have left communities, farmlands, and roadways in the Rupununi inundated. Lethem which lies on the bank of the Takutu River is also affected along with several communities including Parabara, Bashaizon and St Ignatius.
In Region Ten, Chairman Deron Adams made similar comments stating that there is a lull in rainfall but he is yet to receive a full report on the extent of the damage caused by the floodwater. He stated that various councillors from the Regional Democratic Council are currently in the affected communities conducting assessments. Kwakwani, Blueberry Hill and Rockstone are among the dozens of communities affected in Region Ten. Echoing Allicock, he too said floodwaters are receding.
The flooding in Region Ten was also caused by torrential rains and overtopping of rivers.
Farms in both regions are under water while in Region Ten Adams said, poultry and other animals have drowned.
